The RV prep/upgrade thread...

bigfelipe

bigfelipe

Phil-osopher...
Charter Life Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2016
Messages
9,097
Location
Triangle
Rating - 100%
42   0   0
Getting the Ol' Pilot ready for action... Many things to do... Many things already done...

The list is growing... Besides a wash, fluid changes, and packing, I am upgrading the solar panel system, batteries, electric/USB/12 outlets, and the entertainment center is mostly being deleted in favor of simpler tech...

Got the bulk of the material in for my solar and electric upgrades...

20210902_225232.jpg20210902_131946.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hope to have good weather tomorrow so I can empty out the cargo area and work out the battery situation....
 
20210907_112822.jpg
20210907_112953.jpg20210907_112755.jpg20210907_112806.jpg

So I picked up the new Trojan T105s today... Got excited and threw them in before I remembered to take a picture 😂...

No core charge down here so I kept the old Duracells. I'll put them on my conditioner for awhile and store them for future use...


Pic from the webs for those interested...

45838_2.jpg
 
Last edited:
I also have to finish the antenna delete. I removed the mast already. Now I have to remove the base, make the blank out of aluminum plate and install it...

20210907_113413.jpg20210907_113545.jpg20210907_113549.jpg
 
I'll be installing this 12v outlet bar in my inverter/charger cabinet, next to the bed...

20210907_113935.jpg20210907_113942.jpg20210907_113902.jpg

That gives me a rear 12v socket and 2 5v USB charging sockets....
 
And of course I have the new bar... because... well... booze...

This is the cabinet that held the old drip coffee maker. I have a Nespresso Mini and a Mocha pot I prefer so I 86'ed it...
20210907_113705.jpg

Picked up a bunch of these panels to trim out the inside...
20210907_113605.jpg

When I finish it will look like this but no gaps/etc...

20210830_145212.jpg

And I'll have a cover panel for discretion in parks and areas booze isn't allowed...

20210907_113625.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: NKD
bigfelipe said:
Lol... I've been there. It's actually kind of a sad attraction...
Click to expand...
Drive to South Dakota for “bugs for your enjoyment”? 🤔
 
Jeppo said:
Drive to South Dakota for “bugs for your enjoyment”? 🤔
Click to expand...
It's a roadside attraction with tortoise and gators and monitors and such for families. It's really sad though... Like a Dollar Tree zoo...
 
Removed the old solar brackets... Freaking well nuts suck. Only lost one but I don't trust them to stay sealed.

20210908_091830.jpg20210908_091833.jpg

So I'll pop them out and clean up the silicone 🙄... Then I'll drill them out slightly for 3/8 rivnuts I can seal properly with butyl.

20210908_094156.jpg

I also installed the solar wire weather box. Had to trim it because the guy drilled the hole right next to a rib...

20210908_092038.jpg20210908_091851.jpg20210908_093614.jpg
 
Next I removed the antenna mount...

20210907_113413.jpg20210908_095426.jpg20210908_105512.jpg

After cleaning up the area I made a cardboard pattern and transferred it to 1/8" aluminum plate, marked and drilled it...

20210908_100208.jpg20210908_100216.jpg20210908_103245.jpg

After a double row of butyl and covering the penetrations with butyl too I screwed it down and keyed it in...

20210908_105108.jpg20210908_105119.jpg

Forgot about the ceiling inside. So I cut a round out of scrap material from the bar project and screwed it in place...

20210908_105251.jpg
 
Last edited:
By the time I finished the antenna delete I was done with the sun on the roof for the day 😂

So I cut and installed the bar panels...20210908_082735.jpg

The almond silicone was a little lighter than I expected but it'll do...


Next I cut in the 12v/5v outlets. I'll wire them in tomorrow...

20210908_112000.jpg20210908_112009.jpg

Should make charging at night much easier
 
Last edited:
So tomorrow I prep the roof for the panels. I'll deal with the wellnuts, reseal around the penetrations with dicor, and mark/drill/install the rivnuts for the solar panels. Maybe it'll go well and even get the panels on...
 
So I pulled the old well nuts(lost another one in the roof 🤷🏼‍♂️) and I stalled 3/8-16 rivnuts with stainless washers and bolts bedded in butyl.

Then I ran a heavy bead of Dicor around the bathroom vents and the Fan-Tastic Fan. That stuff SUCKS to work with. Worse than pure silicone. Glad it's on a 9'+ roof and doesn't have to look good... 😂

As an aside on the fan, I replaced the guts awhile back with an upgrade. So nice... Super quiet, moves air, it's reversible now, and has a tool-less removable screen. Super low draw too. I can run it for days without pulling on my batteries.

20210909_120732.jpg
 
Bolted the brackets on complete with locktite after measuring and figuring where they'd best be located. Set the panels up to mock up. Too hot now. I'll continue when the sun gets back down to the treetops...

20210909_122920.jpg

The panels are slightly offset to miss the plumbing vent. It actually makes it easier to line up since they'll hug the second rib in.

20210909_122951.jpg

The front panel driver's side bracket fell dead center of my antenna delete plate just as I planned...

20210909_122943.jpg
 
So when the sun is lower, I'll mark the holes for the brackets and drill them out for the Rivnuts...

BTW, a 10-24 Rivnut requires a 9mm hole... 😁

20210909_123445.jpg

The sun will be gone by the time I'm ready to hook up the wiring. That'll be ideal. Then I don't have to worry about disconnecting the charge controller or anything. It's pull and play anyway, so not a big concern, but better safe than sorry. I like doing solar work at night and test the following day...
 
Looking good Phil
 
Wired in the 12v outlet system. I can now monitor my batteries from the back as well...

Two wires... What could go wrong? 😂
20210909_133306.jpg

20210909_134223.jpg

20210909_134229.jpg

Nice $17 addition to the rig... The switch kills the 5v transformer and voltmeter to eliminate parasitic draw. The 12v socket is always hot.

20210909_134539.jpg
 
Rain stopped around 6:30. So at 7 I grabbed my shammy and dried off the roof. Got all the Rivnuts installed with little excitement but as the sun set so did the dew... Butyl and wet surfaces is a no go. So without my heat gun available I borrowed a hairdryer from the lady of the house and went to work... Got all the brackets bedded and screwed down. I opted for just split washers and no locktite. I also added a strip of closed foam weather strip under the fan cover and reinstalled it. Then ziptied the wiring to it.

20210909_213545.jpg20210909_222350.jpg20210909_222953.jpg

Pics are crap but it's 11pm and I'm working on a ladder in the dark 😂 deal with it... I'll take better ones tomorrow when I put the Dicor on the screw heads.
 
A little testing and some clean up inside and I'm ready to start loading it out... I sprayed the furnace grill with a fresh coat of high temp paint. I'll install it tomorrow and reseal the flooring perimeter caulk. Need to spray the awning down and clean it up too...
 
When I get back to Raleigh I have to pull my rear driver's side tire and put a new valve stem in to replace the slow leak I discovered... I'll put a manifold on the A/C too. Doesn't seem as cold as it should be, but that could just be the hella hot weather here in Florida...
 
  • Like
Reactions: NKD
I think I'm pretty much done with preparations for this trip... Afterwards I may delve into a new charger/converter system and a fold out directional solar panel, but that's going to be next year...
 
Nice job with great pictures and descriptions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom